The present invention relates to an emergency kit for changing a flat tire on a vehicle. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable kit having an air compressor assembly in combination with an impact wrench and a car tire jack for changing a flat tire on a vehicle.
Vehicles such as automobiles, pick-up trucks, SUV""s, vans and the like are usually equipped with a manual spider wrench and a manually operated car scissors jack or similar carjacks for the removal of a flat tire. Frequently, the portable carjacks and lug nut removal tools may be lost and/or not available for service. On occasions, the jack and lug wrench may be stored in the trunk under luggage or other trunk supplies and other miscellaneous paraphernalia, requiring the trunk to be unloaded to get to these tools. Further, many times after the flat tire has been changed, the replacement tire is either low on air or also flat.
Additionally, another problem occurs, even though the carjack and lug wrench are operated to lift the vehicle and remove the lugs from the tire without too much effort by the operator, but it still takes considerable physical effort by women or the elderly in order to lift the vehicle and to remove the lug nuts from the flat tire and to re-tighten the same after the flat tire has been changed.
There remains a need for a self-contained kit for changing a flat tire having all portable components that include a lightweight air compressor motor and a compressed air holding tank, wherein the air compressor assembly is powered via the cigarette lighter inlet receptacle of a vehicle. Further, there is a need for an air compressor assembly in combination with a compact, portable tire jack being moved by the air compressor motor for lifting and lowering of the vehicle in order to replace the flat tire on a vehicle, as well as for use with a portable impact wrench to remove a plurality of tire lugs on the wheel of the tire needing to be changed. The air compressor assembly, impact wrench and tire jack would all be contained within a lightweight (self-contained) carrying case for facilitating the changing of the flat tire with ease, speed and safety.
Tire changing assemblies, tire changing systems and portable tools for tire changing are of various designs, configurations, structures and materials of construction have been generally disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,230 to Levine discloses an electrically powered automobile jack and nut remover. The tire jack is powered through a cigarette lighter type plug by the automobile battery, and has an outlet for receipt and for powering of a tire nut remover or other equipment. In another embodiment, the nut remover is powered by the automobile battery, drives the tire jack in an upward or downward movement. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the concept of the present invention of a tire changing kit having all portable components being an air compressor, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within the kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,722,641 to Martin, et al. discloses a vehicle mounted tire changing system having a hydraulic jack system connected to a vehicle for lifting a portion of the vehicle relative to the supporting terrain and a pneumatic system carried by the vehicle for connecting air operated tools. The hydraulic jack system includes an air compressor for hydraulically powering and activating the hydraulic jacks to raise and/or lower the vehicle. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the concept of the present invention of a tire changing kit having all portable components being an air compressor, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within the kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,526 to Ham ade, et al. discloses an automotive flat tire repair system. The repair system includes an air compressor system mounted to the underside of a vehicle. The repair system also includes a portable pneumatic power impact wrench and a portable scissors jack for replacing and repairing the flat tire. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the concept of the present invention of a tire changing kit having all portable components being an air compressor, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within the kit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,953B1 to Farmer discloses an automatic jack and wheel change system. The wheel change system includes at least one inverted jack driven by an electric motor permanently attached to the vehicle. The system may employ a jack disposed between the front and rear wheel on each side of the vehicle, or it may be equipped with a jack at each of the four wheels. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach the concept of the present invention of a tire changing kit having all portable components being an air compressor, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within the kit.
None of the aforementioned prior art patents disclose a self-contained, lightweight kit having all of the necessary components in portable form for changing a flat tire that include an air compressor assembly, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within a lightweight carrying case to be stored in every vehicle in case of an emergency.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tire changing kit having all portable components that include an air compressor assembly having an air compressor motor and a compressed air holding tank, an impact wrench and a tire jack, all contained within a heavy duty and compact carrying case for storage in the trunk of a vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit having an air compressor assembly that is lightweight, with an air inflation capacity of at least 1.0 cubic foot per minute having a power rating of at least xc2xcHP at a pressure rating between 100 psig to 250 psig, wherein the air compressor motor can be powered via a cigarette lighter inlet plug of a vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit having a lightweight, durable, pneumatic impact wrench for removing the tire lugs or nuts from the wheel rim of the flat tire and for re-tightening the tire lugs after the flat tire has been changed by a replacement tire.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit having a lightweight, metal, durable, pneumatic carjack for lifting and lowering of a vehicle in order to remove and replace the flat tire of the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that includes a heavy duty, durable and lightweight carrying case for holding therein all of the component tools.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that has the air compressor assembly built into one of the halves of the carrying case.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that also includes an air injection nozzle and hose for injecting air into a flat tire or a tire needing air which may be connected to the air compressor motor.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that includes a carrying case having a pressure gauge, a power transformer and a cigarette lighter inlet plug for powering the air compressor motor via a cigarette lighter of the vehicle being detachably connected to the case sections of the carrying case.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that facilitates the changing of a flat tire with ease, speed and safety for use especially by women and the elderly (having no manually operated components).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that is self-contained, lightweight and compact to be easily carried by hand, and which is compact for storage within a trunk area of an automobile and the like.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a tire changing kit that can be mass produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the consumer.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an emergency kit for changing a tire. The tire changing kit includes a portable carrying case having a first compartment and a second compartment which are movable between an open position and a closed position. The first compartment is for housing an air compressor motor and a tank for holding compressed air and the second compartment includes a plurality of preformed depressions for containing an impact wrench, a tire jack and a plurality of hoses therein. The compressed air holding tank includes a plurality of air connector ports for attaching the hoses to the air connector ports and to the impact wrench and to the tire jack. The tire changing kit also includes an electrical cord having an electrical quick connect plug at one end and a cigarette lighter inlet plug at the other end so that the cigarette lighter inlet plug is received within and powered by a cigarette lighter receptacle of a vehicle for supplying electrical power to the air compressor motor for generating compressed air in order to pneumatically power the impact wrench and the tire jack.